Val's Adventures

Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:34:00 +0000

Woah...
It had been almost 3 months since I last posted. I have been very busy the past weeks with all the stuff I've been doing... (yeah right)
So anyway, I have had problems with my blog as well, when I try to view some parts, some had been translated to Arabic. Which is weird because I can't even read arabic symbols.
Anyway, I will try to fix the settings, maybe I have clicked on something.
For the past weeks, I travelled (only in Dubai) most of the time, going to shops and our warehouse in Al Quoz. I never knew going around (which I did enjoy) would be so much tiring!
Here are pics of the latest developments on some construction sites around (which I pass by by most of the time). This really fascinates me and would love to show this to my dad
This was taken Feb. 28Then this was from May 4.

Notice the quick progress on the Burj Dubai structure?

Happy Val's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 11:57:00 +0000

What’s the fuss about Valentine’s day here in Dubai anyway?
Everybody in my office is required to wear red. As opposed to Filipinos who are hesitant of wearing red on this day. People back home would even wear black just to prove the point (or exaggerate) that they are actually single during valentines.
Such a cliché.
I, myself wore a white tee with I d DANCING written on it. Of course the d is in gliterry red.
So that’s my share of red for today.
Of course, I added a red muffler around my neck (and it’s not even cold here). Just to prove the point that I made an effort!
After all the greetings and merry wishes, I realized that this is the only occasion (or celebration to some) that is shared by all (or most) cultures! Yes, we have Ramadan and Eid for our Muslim brothers/sisters, and Christmas for us. Then there is Diwala for Hindis… and Hannukah for Jews.
And Valentine’s Day is the only occasion we had to share, regardless of religion and not be selfish about.
So I guess that is why everyone is very cheery and excited! They made such a big deal about today.
Now I know why.
So Valerie, don’t rain on my parade! Stop being a kill joy!

I've Been Tagged (again)

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:06:00 +0000

I love answering these little questions everytime my sister tags me. It's good that I don't have to reply in video form or anything of that sort.
So here goes:

1. Name one thing you do everyday.
*Shower
-you said it. I don't care if the weather's cold. I just had to shower and wash my hair. Everyday. I even do it twice sometimes. :)

2. Name two things you wish you could learn.
*Sign language
*Programming
-I wanted to learn how computer geniuses come up with those games. I guess I need to learn how to do animation too.

3. Name three things that remind you of your childhood
*Pets
-we had dogs, cats, parrots, other birds, fish... I grew up always having something to care of. I miss my doggies. :(
*My dad listening to his favorite music
-old records (actually CDs) of The Beatles (I know Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band-the entire album, by heart), Abba, Carpenters, Carmen (yes, the opera), and his classical music.
*Our old bedroom
-Since the late 90s, we all moved to our 3rd floor rooms (new annex/wing of our home), which before that, remained uninhabited since we are still using the old rooms. But after heavy rains (every year), the ceilings have finally collapsed, and we were forced to move into the new rooms. :)

4. Name four things you love to eat but rarely do
*Kiwi
-I'm too lazy to remove the skin.
*Crispy Pata
-I'm not allowed to anymore...and besides, the best crispy pata is from home.
*Lasagna
-No oven here.
*Cheesecake
-enough said.

5. Name five things that make you feel good.
*Looking at clouds
*Looking at puppy pictures
*Going to the gym
*Talking to my parents
*My boss saying I did a great job

My Favorite Quotes

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 12:41:00 +0000

I’m quite not sure if this entry even belonged here. I’m supposed to write about my adventures. I have been procastinating the past few days and a slacker such as myself came up with this:
My Favorite Quotes:

When I’m hopeful:
"Keep in mind that letting go isn't the end of the world; it's the beginning of a new life."

When I’m bitchy:
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." -Eleanor Roosevelt
(thanks Eleonor)

When I’m trying to be funny:
“Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”

When I’m being the chemist geek that I am:
“If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”

When I’m feeling guilty:
“The best proof of love is trust”. -Joyce Brothers

This is probably the reason why I added the Quote for the Day block on my blog. Just to add something on my Oh-so-boring layout. :)

Birthday dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:58:00 +0000

On my birthday, I grilled some kebabs and I cooked pancit canton.

The kebabs are store bought, pre marinated. The chicken drumsticks are pre-marinated as well. :) I didn't have the time to marinate them (too lazy), so they ended up tasting too arabic for our taste. :) But it went well, and the pancit was really good, even I can say that it really was. :) good for a first timer, pancit cook like me. :)

Next time, I'll just marinate my own chicken.

Time for those resolutions!

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 19:43:00 +0000

Hmmm... Another year, another set of promises, hehehe...
Actually, these are goals that I want to accomplish this year, or at least stick to what I have been doing in the past.
I have always written (in memory) all my hopes and dreams for the coming year. They always include being in diets, excercise, being less lazy...

It's time to refresh all those!

1. Take time to reflect and meditate
-I seem to take time for granted. Sometimes, I’d rather sleep all day, and then be cranky after sleeping too much.
2. Be less mapanglait! (critical)
-Sometimes, I just have this instinct to pick on every single detail that is wrong with someone, it could be a friend or just someone who happens to pass by or a person I’m dating or someone I saw on TV …I just happen to be too judgemental or very observant. And that’s WRONG!
3. Travel more (if my finances would allow)
-I want to be able to travel more of Dubai or go outside of the country
4. Buy less clothes
-My closet cannot accommodate any more!
5. Make sure that finances are stable and that due dates are met
-Get rid of those darn credit cards!
6. Be in touch with my old friends
-I seem to forget those people who TRULY know me, my friends from way back who understands me.
7. Be more health conscious!
-Honestly, I need to lose around 20 lbs and I wanted to accomplish that in 3 months…hmmm, if that’s possible. But I want to be healthy in the process. I will keep my gym classes regular and my eating habits more healthy this time. Enough with the Patchi chocolates already! Really, I know all the stuff to do, how to make myself healthy and lose weight…I am just too lazy to do it. Or just didn’t have the willpower to do so.
8. Let go of my college crushes
-Hahaha… I have a series of crushes during college and I know I have not seen them in such a long time. For some reason, I still communicate with them, and they are already in different parts of the globe… So funny how I felt like I’m still in school. Haven’t really grown up at all.
9. To blog everyday
-I have created another blog for my daily reflections. I have been reading and listening to daily gospels and reflections and I want to make something out of it. Probably my own daily prayer page. This also adds up to me being more spititual this year.
10. Be more positive
-Sometimes I just get the blues and think about negative stuff. But I know my family and friends love me more than anything and I have decided to let the people who have let me down, be a thing of the past.
11. Look for a new apartment
-They call them flat or villas here. I needed to find a room where I can put all my stuff (I have accumulated a year’s worth of junk) and organize them. But the rent here is enormous and I cannot afford my own flat…so I’m also gonna look for someone to share it with.
My team and I will probably move to a different office (new! And far!) so probably I’ll look for a nice one near the beach. Cool!
12. Invest
-Anything. I just need to put my money into something worth spending. Probably save some, or buy something which will worth a lot in the future (gold, dollars, euros, bonds, stocks, whatever)
13. Be more grateful and more kind
-Not that I am not. I am very much thankful for my loving family. I cannot thank them enough for being there for me, and spending hours chatting with me while I just cry and cry. I am also very much grateful for being here. I am one of the lucky few who didn’t have to spend a cent just to come here (ok, so I paid for my passport). Everything is given to me on a silver platter (as my brother puts it) and didn’t need to do anything to process my visa, papers and all those. I just got on the plane, and when I arrived at the Dubai airport, a hotel transfer was waiting for me and I stayed in a suite for a week! And I got my residency in two months!
I should feel very very grateful and lucky.

I have many many things to be thankful for the past year… Sometimes I just don’t realize things. Hmmm maybe I need to put all those on a different post.

New year

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:41:00 +0000

My quote for the new year:

"Keep in mind that letting go isn't the end of the world; it's the beginning of a new life."

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

(from last new year's fireworks display)

The Real Reason for the Season

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 04:33:00 +0000

The Real Reason for the Season

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Christmas in My Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 04:24:00 +0000

It’s so funny that I have not felt so christmasy this whole December as I would normally be back home. Perhaps, the pressure of work, and the fact that this is a Muslim country, really made me not so excited about the coming holidays. I had my share of holiday breaks BEFORE Christmas, when Eid Al Adha came and gave us 5 days break, 3 days before Chriistmas. Then we’ll be back to work for 2 days and take another leave (for Christians only) during Christmas.
It was only today that I felt the season coming in to me. A Filipino office mate came up to me and gave me chocolates. He is usually the person who I share my “sugar free” stuff with, another dieter. J Someone who would shake his head when he sees me eating non-diet stuff. But this time, he just said “Merry Christmas!” and said that today is an exemption, we can eat normal, sugar laden chocolates! And it came from my favorite chocolate shop called Patchi (thanx Marx!).
It was only then that I felt the true meaning of the season.
Since I am away in a foreign land, with only one Catholic church in the area, I have tried to dismiss the fact that I cannot celebrate Christmas like I used to. There is no Christmas Bonus, nor 13th Month Pay, or Christmas parties and kris kringles… No long vacations (well, except for Eid) nor aguinaldos…
It would be so weird! But then,
Christmas is celebrated in our hearts!
Eventhough my family is away and is usually busy at this time of the year for parties and gift giving, I would not be sad.
Because I know in my heart, I am there (on webcam!).
Merry Christmas to everyone back home!

My Christmas Wish

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 11:23:00 +0000

Okay, this is the best thing I want for Christmas. Of course, I wish to be with my family and friends back home. But since I’m here in Dubai, THIS is the only thing I want (okay, aside from an iPhone!).
A Beagle puppy.
Can someone give me one please???? I’ll call him Barney, or Dimitri...or something. :)

Souq Madinat Jumeirah

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 09:29:00 +0000

This is my first favorite place in Dubai (before I've discovered DFC)
It's near the beach, on the other end of Dubai. I usually go here fo my shop visits because we also have a MIkyajy shop here. These pictures were taken a few months back (Feb I think).
I really love the scenery.
I could stay here for hours and just sit.

Souq-ang souqa na nga ako dito. hehehe... (corny)

That's the Burj Al Arab, a famous landmark.

Long Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 20:36:00 +0000

My very long vacation is almost up... I have been procatinating, even during holidays hehehe... Spent most of the days sleeping and watching movies and stuff... But I did bum around the beach! Same old Jumeirah Beach. I've had a lot of pictures, but since I've gotten tired of the same old beach, I just didn't take any more pictures, as I have always frequented the same beach every so often. :)

So the other day, I went with my best pal to Ibn Battuta Mall. It was the first time I have been to this mall, and we have a Mikyajy shop here too, so I did a few inspections as well (work and leisure sure can mix!).

They have different areas, inspired by the places the person this mall was named after. Apprently, he was a traveller... So inside the mall they have China, Persia, Egypt, India Courts.

I especially loved the design and architecture on the Persia side:

nice!

I think I can add this to one of my favorite places!But it is too far from my place and we have to drive at least 45 minutes (without traffic) to get to this place. But it can take around 30 minutes if you're driving at 120 kmph, which we always do. hehehe... Hey, this is Dubai, everybody drives fast!

The Old Sheik Zayed Road

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:19:00 +0000

I have seen these pictures a number of times from various blogs, news feeds and other websites. I might as well put them here and show everyone how much Dubai has changed for the last couple of years. (Really don't know where this picture came from originally)

This picture dates back between 1988 to 1991 (really can't tell)
And some are saying that back then, they have to look out for camels crossing the road :)

This one is from 2005. I can now tell you that this is an OLD pic because on the left side of this road, new buildings have been added (and is completely lined up).

Just to show how Dubai have changed quite quickly over the years.

My Birth Month

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 03:58:00 +0000

I got this Meme from my sister's blog and she tagged me to post the same.
I will be turning another year older next month (on the 3rd to be exact) so I guess this is a reminder for me that I am getting old! (thanks a lot sis! haha)

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses (Val-in a constructive way!). Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved (depends on the meaning though). Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children (only the cute ones! lol). Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

Ok, so MOST of the things written here is so true. But I am not prone to colds... and I am not money cautious :) And if I can make LOYAL even more highlighted, I would! :)

Hey you can copy this meme too... see here.

Oh Christmas Tree!

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 07:37:00 +0000

It's Christmas time once again. My favorite mall displays one of the best trees around.
It is also a cool idea to place it in between the trolley-lator (that's what I call it because it's an escalator for trolleys). :)

Very nice concept I might say!

During the night...

What's in a name...

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:13:00 +0000

Have you ever tried googling yourself? You know, where you search your full name in Google and find relevant and not so relevant things about your name. Actually, I never got info about myself but rather on two other Valerie V_____’s out there.
One girl of the same name is a marine biologist. Wow, my alter ego! According to a news feed that had her name, she is a “highly trained scientist and research biologist studying Beluga whale communication in Canada…” Wow. I could be like her. I have always wanted to be a veterinarian when I was little. Better yet, a marine biologist.
The other Valerie is a supplier manager for a phamaceautical industry from San Francisco. Again, I could be like her. I graduated from university with a degree in Chemistry… And that is a related industry.
Hmmm, I wonder how many more Valerie V______’s are out there and what industries are they in! I just can’t believe we are all science related. Not even one is an actress, or a singer or something other than being into science. :)
Comes to show that we are all smart (or boring?). Just kidding.

Oh by the way, I did find my own profile on one of the websites. It had my picture as a member of this Dance Club here in Dubai, which I attended once, and never came back. And they even placed my picture on the member’s list. :)
We're not so boring after all! :)

Fitness comes First!

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:01:00 +0000

Lately, I have been attending aerobics classes at my local gym. We have a Fitness First near my house (of course, at the Dubai Festival City again). I enrolled last September and I’m proud to say I have lost around 15 pounds… Not too bad for a slacker like me who used to (?) feast on potato chips, french fries and fast food. Totally inactive and wouldn’t even dare use the stairs So even if my weight loss is pretty slow, well, at least, I’ve lost a couple and have seen results. My thighs and legs are firmer. And according to my mom, she thought my nose grew bigger (because of my now smaller cheeks hehehe). Fair enough.
Like I’ve said, I have been addicted on going to these classes. They are a lot of fun and makes me sweat too much! Here in Dubai, I don't go out in the sun too often when I have work, especially when every place is airconditioned, you barely sweat (unlike the humid Metro Manila). So it is really a treat to sweat (ewww…).
All thanks to my favorite instructor, B, who is a wonderful, wonderful motivator and teacher. He teaches most of my favorite classes that I go to. (Note: Frequency of class attendance by Valerie, is NOT related to frequency of B’s classes…u get my drift?). I DO NOT attend B’s classes only (not to sound too defensive here). I think I have found a new perspective in fitness (or whatever you may call it). I think, I’ve become more serious in working out (and getting my money and time’s worth).
The classes that I go to are as follows: LesMill’s Body Balance, LesMill’s Body Step, LesMill’s Body Jam, LesMill’s RPM, Swiss Ball, Yoga and Pilates. I enjoy all the cardio workouts like RPM and Body Step because I really want to get my heart pumped and lose weight. And I am proud to say that I can really do the step class pretty well. Hehe. I am such a nerd, even with these classes!
I always make sure that I have the correct posture (in yoga) and correct steps (in aerobics). I never wanted to let my instructors down. :) and I always make sure that my classmates would envy me because of my correct posture and breathing (such a geek!).
I also enjoy Swiss Ball among other things (also taught by B). It is such a fun class where you get to roll around (not really!) even if it means getting on top of this giant ball and do push ups!.
I never knew gym could be so fun!
Also thanks to this guy I will be calling Pretty Boy because he is such a pretty boy! I don't have a crush on him, but he is just so darn cute! He is a cross between Brad Pitt (in his younger years) and the guy from the boy band Blue. Hahaha. With blond hair and all the smiling. Sigh...

I know, I know... there must be a lot of reasons for going to the gym. Mostly, health reasons. And I believe I have more energy now... but hey, it wouldn't hurt to look at these wonderful, beautiful people! (and I believe most of them are gay anyway).

Cheese!

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 06:58:00 +0000

No this is not a food trip entry...
Sometimes I just love the cheesiest songs. Actually, they don’t seem so cheesy to me, but after some time, you’ll know that the lyrics are as cheesy as it can be.
I love 80s music (and early 90s) and here are some of the cheesiest ones but I just really love them (always on my iPod playlist):

1. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) by Dead or Alive
-this song is one of my favorite 80s track. I first heard this on Adam Sandler’s movie The Wedding Singer. This song is played at the beginning of the movie, with Adam singing. The movie still makes me laugh everytime I watch it.
All I know is that to me you look like you’re lots of fun, open up your loving arms. Watch out here I come! You spin me right round baby right round like a record baby right round round round… My spin class instructor also used this on one of our classes. Spin… how ironic (and how gay can he be).
I’m sorry but I play this song not less than once a day and is currently being played right now.

2. Love In The First Degree by Bananarama
-Only you can set me free, coz I’m guilty, guilty as a girl can be. Come on baby can’t you see I stand accused, of loving the first degree.
Oh my God. The entire song had this kind of lyrics. Title palang corny na.

3. I Think We’re Alone Now by Tiffany
-a classic! :)

4. Girl You Know It’s True by Milli Vanilli
-the song isn’t too corny, but the video is, which includes the infamous dance step…(oops I think I’m the only one who can still dance and sing to the tune…). I’m pretty sure everyone is shocked at the lip syncing thing back in the 90s which led to album refunds and lawsuits and stuff. But no matter what the controversy was at that time, I still liked them. God bless Rob’s soul (one of the members).

5. I’m Too Sexy by Right Said Fred
-Do I have to explain? I’m too sexy for your body, too sexy for your body, the way I’m disco dancing! How gay is that??? The music video says it all!
I think I remember they said they made this song to make fun of models and all those beautiful people sung from the point of view of a vain male fashion model (I shake my little tush on the catwalk) :)

6. Rock Steady by Kool and the Gang
-and we begin to rock steady. Steady rockin’ all night long… despite the lyrics, I still feel like dancing when I hear this. And I actually begin to rock, in a slow, steady way.

7. Barbie Girl by Aqua
-I’m a barbie girl, in a barbie world, wrapped in plastic, it’s fantastic. You can touch my hair, undress me everywhere….
Ewww?
All of Aqua’s song during this time is almost of the same beat. But it’s funky, and they’re on my Val’s Workout Tracks playlist on my iPod. :)

8. Ladies Night by Kool and the Gang
-another Kool and the Gang entry… hey, I love them! Oh what a night!
Actually, I’m more into the Atomic Kitten version (more for ladies).

9. Get Ready For This by 2 Unlimited
-I remember my Diko (2nd older brother) loving (liking is an understatement) this group back in the 90s and I believe, he is still playing their songs from time to time. I think we have a cd. :)
I remember this song from the movie Bring It On, where this gay/macho choreographer taught a cheerleading routine with this tune on Kirstin Dunst’s group. It’s so funny.

I am not saying that these songs are bad. I actually love them. And I think I have a couple more to add to these... probably, you guys have other songs to add?

My Grandson

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 05:21:00 +0000

Yes, I am thirty with a granchild. Grandchildren, actually. I have two grandsons from my two of my eldest nephew and niece. I am featuring this cute little baby boy because he is the latest addition to the family (sorry to the other kids, I'll feature you later). :)
His name is Ajdin, son of my niece Lennie, who is the eldest of all my nieces (she's almost my age so...), and the eldest of my eldest brother Gil (who is 18 years older than me).
They all live in the States and I only get updates of this cute little baby thru emails...

But isn't he a darling? Honestly, his cute little face makes me smile.
Always.

Food trip no. 3

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 13:44:00 +0000

(Panginggit kay Dad)

For my third food trip, I decided to have the family favorite: Pizza!

For the first pizza, I was reading this article on Yahoo about traditional pizzas. So I went to this pizzzeria over lunch just to have a non fast food chain pizza. The restaurant is called La Paesanna Pizzeria. The place is cozy, two blocks away from my office building. Looks Italian, with a pinay waitress and Arabic chef :)

I started off with some bread (pizza crust) with some preserved black olives and olives in tomato, and some chili oil. For 28 dirhams (pizza only), it's not too bad. But I had the half for take out, I think it's supposed to be good for two. Not bad, but needs to have more cheese.

The 2nd pizza I had was from last week. My officemate and I are supposed to go to the gym that evening, but we cannot grab a cab for an hour already so we decided (well, he did) to eat at the nearby Papa John's instead :)

For 60 dirhams, we had grilled chicken salad, fried chcken breast fillets, sodas and medium pizza (I chose the Little Italy kind, which had all meat, mushrooms and black olives). It is so good!

We didn't have leftovers...

So much for dieting!

Food trip no. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 12:03:00 +0000

Like I've said, I have decided to document all the food that I eat here in Dubai. Much to the enjoyment of my dad, who I always share my stories and to make them feel envious of my love for food. Lately I am fascinated with Kebabs.

Kebab (also transliterated as kabab, kebap, kabob, kibob) refers to a
variety of grilled/broiled meat dishes in Middle Eastern, Central Asian and
South Asian cuisines. Kebabs usually consist of lamb and beef, though particular
styles of kebab have chicken or fish. Pork is never used for kebabs by Muslims
or Jews because of the religious prohibition on the meat, but is sometimes used
by non-Halal or non-Kosher sellers.

So for the past week, I've had two kinds of Kebab lunch and dinner. Both are chicken because I prefer them than mutton or lamb.

The first one is from an Iranian fastfood called Noón Kebab. I tried the plain kind and one is marinated in yoghurt. Yoghurt is very popular in arabic and indian dishes as well. This entire meal is priced at 19 dirhams... not bad. It comes with rice (which I didn't like). I was hoping they have the arabic bread instead. But I forgot to ask. :)

Just last night, for dinner, I went to a nearby hypermarket and I was looking for something to eat. I came across this section where you can get raw kebabs to take home or you can ask them to cook it for you then take it home. So I chose 3 varieties of chicken... in tomato, hot and spicy and in yoghurt. They ended up tasting the same to me. But it's cheaper, costing 5 dirhams per skewer. So 15 dirhams in all, with hummus, bread and garlic sauce (which turned out to be mayonaise). It also had a serving of fries on the side.
Not too bad huh?

The verdict? I am still looking for the perfect kebab... I definitely need to eat a lot more of these.

Three Things

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:34:00 +0000

I decided to continue the things list from my sister’s blog since I wanted to share my three things…

3 things I wish I could do but couldn’t
-rap
-speak Arabic
-do extreme sports

3 things that make me smile
-my nephews' and nieces' pictures (they're just so cute!)
-Dubai Festival City

-some cute guy...

3 things that make me laugh
-Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller movies
-being with gay people (they just crack me up)
-Pugad Baboy books

3 things that make me cry
-being emotionally hurt by stupid people
-sappy, love stories…sigh…
-weddings (doesn’t matter who is getting married, I just cry during the vows and stuff)

3 things that scare me
-scary movies
-death
-Love :)

3 things that I love
-God and my existence
-My family
-My passion for fine things :)

3 things that I like doing
-Yoga and meditation
-reading or travelling
-just being myself

3 things that I hate
-people talking bad about me
-war and fear
-the ability to hate

3 things that I don’t understand
-Arabic
-Love
-the connection of everything and everyone in this world

3 things on my desk
What? Three things???
-my camera, iPod
-office stuff like PC, phone, stuff…
-cosmetics samples (a lot of them for approvals)
-my nephews’ and nieces’ pictures
Wait, these are four things… hehehe

3 things I’m doing right now
-listening to my iPod
-drinking a banana, mango, strawberry smoothie
-checking some latest liquid foundation samples that I had to approve first thing next week (but is too lazy to do, oops)

3 things I want to do before I die
-have a happily married life with kids (2 is ok), as my niece Mary puts it, "to make babies"…
-go and live somewhere abroad (wait, I am already doing that…)
-travel with my husband (what husband???) to places we both like to see (in the future, that is) and things we like to do (like that rappelling thing)

3 things I can do
-whistle to the tune of ANY song
-touch the floor with both hands without knees bending
-do the fish face (with lips and all)

3 things that I like to listen to

-Old school music (like Supersonic)
-80s music
-anything that I can actually sing

3 things I would never want to listen to
-people fighting about stupid nonsense things
-Tagalog novelty songs
-that laugh part in the end of Michael Jackson's song Thriller... i still feel scared :)

3 things I would like to learn
-speak Arabic or French
-skiing
-how to make souffle

3 foods that I love
I’ve done this on the four things and still lack some… so I’ll just add these three
-Shawarma (but not the mutton kind)
-Cheesecake (omg!)
-chocolate (or chocolate drink)

3 beverages I drink regularly
-cold bottled water
-Diet coke or diet pepsi
-coffee

3 TV shows I watched as a kid

-Punky Brewster
-The Cosby Show and The Golden Girls
-all those cartoons

3 Books I've last read

-The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

-The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

-Like the Flowing River by Paulo Coehlo

My Four Things

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 03:49:00 +0000

I got this idea from my sister's blog where she passed me this meme to list down four things that I have or love...

4 Places I’ve Lived
Kalookan City, Philippines
West Orange, New Jersey
Gardiner, New York
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

4 Jobs I’ve Had
Sheep feeder (well what do you call someone who feeds sheep???)/Honey Farm helper
Laboratory Analyst
Color Chemist
Quality Assurance Coordinator

4 Jobs I Wish I had
Film maker or theater (musical) actress
Coffeeshop cum bar owner :) (planned to actually fulfill this)
Make up artist (in training)
Veterinarian

4 Places I’ve Holidayed
Everyday is a holiday for me!

4 Favorite Foods
MY lasagna
Pizza
Fried Chicken (forever!)
Ginataang hipon or grilled squid (I need to have a seafood entry)
(I should make this into 10 things, not just 4)

4 Places I’d Rather Be
At home with mommy and daddy :(
In Maldives
Singing or dancing on a stage (videoke only)
In a historical place that I would actually go to in the future (like Greece or Egypt)

4 Bloggers Id like to Pass this Meme to
My cousin Emmy (who had a blog)
My niece Nikka (also starting a blog)
Just anybody who is fun :)

Food trip no. 1

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 08:56:00 +0000

I've decided to add to my blog my fabulous love for food... Good food, that is. I always dine out so I really look for food that is both healthy and good, while keeping in mind that it should be of superb value (reasonable, that is).

So for my second food trip, I should go with my favorite Grilled Salmon that I usually eat from Ikea. As you might ask, Ikea is one of my favorite places to go to... (I'll talk about Ikea on another post). They have cheaper food, great value and basically very simple and quick...

It's priced at 19 dirhams for the fish with steamed veggies and your choice of either gravy or white sauce (i opted for the fattening kind- the white sauce). And then I'd add some arabic bread and a bottle of good ol' H2O.
I just love Ikea and their food.

So for my second Grilled Salmon dinner, I just simply became a fancy eater... I ate at this restaurant called The Lounge inside a Marks and Spencer store, also located at the Dubai Festival City. So for a dish which costs 42 dirhams, this is what they started of with: 2 pieces of bread with some sort of marmalade. The bread by the way is freshly baked, and is still warm. I enjoyed it, really. Then they brought out the Grilled Salmon, resting on top of potato wedges (I don't even think it's an entire potato). It is about 3/4 inch thick (the salmon) and is so moist. I don't know how they can stay so moist and fully cooked at the same time, considering the thickness of the fillet.

Just wanted to make my money's worth by really cleaning up my plate! Did I mention that a bottle of Evian there costs 8 dirhams? Evian in Ikea costs only 3 dirhams. But hey, I paid for the ambience... (who ordered that darn ambience???--- like that Erap joke).

I want to do this!

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 09:57:00 +0000

My friend and I watched the Esprit fashion show, which I thought was an ordinary show with skinny, tall models (male models to be exact hehehe) walking on the runway…I was wrong!

There were male models alright.

But the catwalk is not on a typical stage… it is vertical!

So there I am as I watched in awe and wondered if I can do that… out of all the daring things out there, I think rapelling (if I had spelled it correctly) could be more fun and less scary (I hope). Well, compared to bunjee jumping (no way!), sky diving (even more!) or rock climbing, I think rapelling is safer (I really do hope so!). But on the Esprit thing, rapelling is done face first!

Hmmm… I think I’ll opt for the traditional, butt-first kind.

Pretty cool huh?